Vacuum cleaner



June 2l, 1960 N A MQECKER 2,941,822

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Aug. 26, 1957 151? l@ A 2g ggla/ /22 9 INVENTOR.

VACUUM CLEANER Norman A. Moeclrer, Elmhurst, lll., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware nnen Aug. ze, 1957, ser. Ne. 680,221

s claims. (ci. zsef') cleaner and parcleaner wand lockf illustrating one embodiment of the Y invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view partially in section of the telescoping wand tubes and the parts forming the vacuum cleaner wand lock; Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section substantially along line 3-3 of Figure l with the parts shown in'lock ing position and showing the inner wand tube in a full line `position and a second broken line limit position; 'Y Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view substantially along line 4 4 of Figure 3; and v Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the wand lock in open position.

In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings the wand lock, indicated generally at 1i), isV assembled with an outer wand tube 11 and an inner wand tube 12 telescopically mounted within tube 11 for sliding movement relative thereto for locking the tubes together in a desired position. The outer wand tube 11 is flared outwardly. at an end 11a to provide an increased clearance between the wand tubes 11 and 12 to provide space for parts of the Wand lock 10.

The wand lock 10 comprises a manually rotatable'lock member 15 in the form of a lock ring externally mounted on the end 11a of the outer'wand tube 11V for controlling 'the'.locking of the wand tubes together and a flexible friction member 16 in the form of a ring positioned betweenrthe wand tubes 11 and 12 and deformable by the lock ring to tightly engage the inner wand tube.l 12, and lock the wand tubes together. Each of these rings may be Vformed of molded plastic material and, more particularly, the lock ring 15 is vformed of nylon and the friction ring 16is formed of polyethylene. t

As shown in Figure 3, the lock ring15. and the friction ring 16 are held on the outer wand tube 11 by means including a retaining catch member in the form of a pin 17 Vextending through an opening 18 in the wall ofthe outer wand tube 11 of a size to surround and receive the pin.` The catch member 17 at one end loosely ts into a cavity 19 as defined by an internal annular groove formed in the lock ring 15, and at its other end has a base 20 loosely fitted in a cavity 21 as defined by an external annular groove formed in :the friction ring 16. The base 20 is formed similarly to a base 25 for the cam follower member 22 to be described subsequently and has curved top and bottom sides to conform with the curvature of the friction ring 16 and outer Wand tube 11.

2,941,822 Patented June 21, 1960 rice 2 This structure permits rotation of the loci;v ring `15 relative to the outer wand tube 11 and holds theloclg ring 15 and friction ring 16 on the outer wand tube 11.

A second pin 22, substantially identical to the pin 17, constitutes a cam follower member for either` releasing or clamping the llexible friction ring 16 to the inner Wand tube 12. The pin 22 extends through a` second opening 23 in the wall of the outer wand tube 11 axially spaced from the opening 18 and of a size to surround and receive the pin 22.

' The cam follower pin 22 at one end engages with an internal` cam surface 24 formed as a groove in the: lock ring 15. The groove defining cam surface 24 has a maximum depth as indicated at 24a and gradually d ecreasing depth at both sides of the maximum depth until the cam surface merges into the inner peripheral surface of the lock ring as indicated at 24h and 24C. The opposite end of the cam follower pin 22 hasr a base 25 which loosely ts in an external annular groove 26forrr1ed in the friction ring 16. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the base 25 is formed to have a relativelythin elongated shape with curved top and bottom surfaces so as to conform to the curvature of the outer wand tube 11 and the friction ring 16.

With the lock ring 15 held for rotation `on theouter wand tube 11 by the eatch member 17, the exible friction ring 16 may be placed in tight engagement with the inner wand tube 12 by causing the cam follower member 22 to travel along the cam surface 24 from the area 24:1 in either direction toward either point 24h or 24C. This operation is illustrated by comparison of Figures 4 and 5 wherein, in Figure 5, the maximum depth area 24a ofthe cam surface 24 is adjacent to the cam follower member 22. In this location of the parts there is nodeformation of the friction ring 16 so that the inner wand tube 12 may be freely moved lengthwise within the outer wand tube 11. In Figurel, the lock ring 15 has been manually rotated from the'position o-f Figure 5 to have the cam surface 2.4 shift the follower member 22 radially inward to deform the flexible friction ring 16A into tight engage.- ment with the inner wand tube 12.

To aid in holding the friction ring 16 on the outer wand tube 11, a third external annular groove Silis formed in the friction ring and receives an inturned iangeV 31 which may be an annular burr left on the inner diameter of the outer wand tube 11 as formed during the process of cutting oi a lengthY of tubingrto form the outerwand tube 11.

The inner-wand tube 12 may takeany position lessthan fully extended relative to the outerwand*y tube 11, one such position being shown in. full line in Figure 3, and has. a limit ofextension,v as shown in broken line. This limit is determined by a snap ring 32 fixed in an external annular groove on an endvof the inner wand tube 12 which engages anend ofthe friction ring 1 6. This snap ring also serves as a spacer between the .Wand tubes 1,1 and -12 to facilitate their relative sliding movement.

As shown in Figure l, a pairvof inserts 35 and 36am placed in the outer wand tube 11 and lock ring 15, respectively. These inserts, when in aiignment, indicate that the cam follower member 22, is adjacent the maximum depth 24:1 of the cam surface 241 wherebythe inner. wand tube 12 may be freelyv adjustedrelative totheouterwand tube 1,1.

.In the wand lockv of this invention the partsrmay be easily assembed byiirs-t placing the lock ring 15 *over the end of the outer wand tube 11. The catch member pin 1 7 and the cam followermember 22 are then positioned inthe openings 1S and 213in the outer wand tube llgwithl theirends lying inthelockring internal groove 19 and maximum depth larea 24aV of the ca-m v24- respectively, The friction ring` .16 is( inserted into tubeV 11 thereby holding catch member pin 17 and cam follower member 22 in their working positions as shown in the drawings.

-The inner wand tube 12 is then inserted full length into the `outer wand tube to project the tube 12 and groove 33 therebeyond andthe snap ring 32 is then positioned withinl its groove. The friction ring 16 flexes sufficiently to permit the catch member base 20 to fit in the friction ring groove 21, the cam follower member base 25 to tit in the friction ring groove 26, and the burr 31 to fit the friction ring groove 30.

The friction ring 16 has an outturned flange di) formed at an end thereof `to abut -against an end of the lock ring and the outer wand tube end 11a. This flange properly locates the two rings on the outer Wand tube 11 and in alignment with the parts which engage said rings.

The lock ring 15 and the friction ring 16 are easily formed as molded parts having simple internal and externalv grooves,.respectively, and large quantities may be produced economically. The rings 15 and 16 and, in addition, the retaining member pin 17 and cam follower member'pin 22 are all that must be easily assembled with the wand tubes to provide a vacuum cleaner wand lock.

Having described my invention as related to the einbodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

l claim:

1. A vacuum cleaner wand lock for locking a pair of telescoping wand tubes comprising: a molded lock ring loosely mounted on the outer of said wand tubes, said lock ring having an annular internal groove andan internal cam surface formed asa groove having a maximum depth and gradually decreasing depth at both sides thereof until said groove merges into the inner peripheral surface of *the lock ring; a molded friction ring formed of exible material positioned between the wand` tubes, said friction ring having three spaced apart external annular grooves; means defining a pair of axially spaced openings through the wall of the outer Wand tube; a catch member extending through one of said holes and engageable in the lock ring annular groove and one of the friction ring annular grooves for holding the rings ontlie outer wand tube; and a cam'follower member extending through the other of said openings and engageable with the cam surface and ina second of said friction ring grooves to force the friction ring into tight engagement with the inner of said wand tubes when the lock ring is rotated to shift the maximum depth section of the cam surface away from the follower; the third of said friction ring grooves receiving a burr on the inner diameter of the outer wand tube to aid in holding the friction ring.

2. A vacuum cleaner wand'lock as defined in claim 1 in which the catch-member Vand cam follower mem-ber are each formed as a pin to loosely t in the outer wand tube holes and have an enlarged base with curved top and bottom surfaces positioned in the first and second friction ring grooves.

3. A vacuum cleaner wand lock as defined in claim l in which -a snap ring is fitted in 1an annular groove in the inner wand tube end positioned within the outer Wand tube to limit the extension of the tubes relative to each other by engagement of the snap ring with an end of the friction ring.

4. A vacuum cleaner wand lock as defined in claim 3 in which the lock ring and outer wand tube have means 'for indicating when the lock ring is rotatively positioned to free the friction ring from tight engagement with the inner Wand tube.

5. A vacuum cleaner wand lock for locking a pair of telescoping wand tubes comprising: a lock ring loosely mounted on the outer of said wand tubes, said lockyririg having an annular internal `groove and an internal cam surface formed as a groove having amaximum depth and gradually decreasing depth at both sides thereof until said groove merges into the inner peripheral surface of the lock ring; a friction ring formed of flexible material positioned between the wand tubes, said friction ring having a pair of spaced apart external -annular grooves; means defining a pair of axially spaced openings through the wall of the outer wand tube; a catch member extending through one of said openings and engageable in the lock ring annular groove and one of the friction ring annular grooves for holding the rings on the outer wand tube; a cam follower member extending through the other of said openings and engageable with the cam surface and in a second of said friction ring grooves to force the friction ring into4 tight engagement with the inner of said wand tubes when the lock ring is rotated to shift the maximum depth section of the cam surface away from the follower.

6. A vacuum cleaner wand lock for locking telescoping inner and outer wand tubes in a desired relative position, comprising: a lock member movably mounted on the outside of the outer wand tube, said lock member having an internal cam surface; a flexible friction member between the wand tubes having a pair of spaced external grooves; means including a retaining member in an opening in the outer wand tube wall engaging one of said grooves in the friction member and engaging the lock member for holding these members on the outer wand tube; and a cam follower in an opening in the outer wand tube wall engaging said cam surface and the other of said grooves in the friction member and movable inwardly by the cam upon movement of the lock member to press the friction member against the inner wand tube and lock the tubes together.

7. The vacuum cleanerwand lock of claim 6 wherein said lock member is circumferentially oscillatable on said outer wand tube and the pair of grooves extend arcuately in the direction of oscillation. t

8. A vacuum cleaner wand lock for locking a pair o telescoping wand tubes comprising: a lock ring loosely mounted on the outer of said wand tubes, said lock ring having an annular internal groove and an internal cam surface axially spaced from the groove also formed as a groove having a maximum depth and gradually decreasing depth at both sides thereof; a friction ring of flexible material positioned between the wand tubes, said friction ring having a pair of axially spaced external auf nular grooves; means defining a pair of axially spaced openings through the wall of the outer wand tube; a catch member extending through one of said holes and engageable in the lock ring annular groove and one of the friction ring annular grooves for holding the rings on the outer wand tube; and a cam follower member extending through the other of said openings and engageable with the cam surface and in the other of said friction ring grooves to force the friction ring into tight engagement with the inner of said wand tubes when the lock ring is rotated to shift the maximum depth section of the cam surface away from the follower.V

9. A vacuum cleaner wand lock for locking telescoping inner and outer wand tubes in a desired relative position, comprising: a lock 'member movably mounted on the outside of the outer wand tube, said lock member having an internal cam surface; a iiexible friction member between the wand tubes; means including a retaining member in an opening in the outer wand tube wall engaging the friction and lock members for holding these members on the outer wand tube; and a cam follower in an opening in the outer wand tube wall engaging said cam surface and friction member and movable inwardly by the cam upon movement of the Alock member to press the friction member against the inner wand tube. and lock the tubes together, the friction member having three axially spaced external grooves, one groove receiving said retaining member for holding the `locking and friction members on the outer wand tube, asecond groove receiv- References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Billings et al. May 18, 1897 Hagedorn Feb. 17, 1903 Noakes July 23, 1918 Schonforber July 15, 1919 6 Mueller July 29, 1919 Warner Mar. 11, 1924 Lomar Sept. 27, 1932 Baade May 25, 1937 Stout Jan. 13, 1942 Perkins Apr. 21, 1953 Goodiliie et al. Apr. 9, 1957 Meyerhoefer May 21, 1957 

